[HelenB]

We're planning to go on a 15 day cruise from Florida, through the Caribbean, the Panama Canal & up the Mexican/Californian coast to Los Angeles, sometime early next year. Its not a birding holiday, but we always like to bird whenever we can and don't want to miss the opportunity of getting new lifers, especially in exotic places that we may never get to again.

Our cruise ship will give us 1 day in Costa Rica, docking at Puntarenas, on the Pacific coast. We will have about 8 hours ashore. There will be lots of cruise ship shore excursions available, but they are usually aimed at everyone and not specifically for birders. So my questions are:

1) Does anyone have information on a birding guide in Puntarenas that could take us out for the day?

2) Is there a good birding hotspot near to the town of Puntarenas that we could get to by ourselves?

TIA,
Helen

[Dave B Smith]

Helen,
All I can say is 8 hours in the best birdwatching country in the world is NOT ENOUGH. Aside from that...

First, the best Field guide is definitely 'A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica' by F. Gary Stiles, Alexander Skutch.

When we were in Monteverde (96) we used a guide named Gary Diller, an expat who stayed, and he was very good. I checked on the web and found he is still guiding and hopefully the data I got is current. He used to be willing to travel (Costa Rica is not that large) to meet a group and I would think that he still may or could recommend someone in the area. His details are:
Gary Wayne Diller O'dell (506-645-5045)
Apartado 20-5655
Santa Elena, Puntarenas
Costa Rica

Panama is also great for birding and the West Coast of Mexico is not bad. If you are going to have any shore time near Puerto Vallarta let me know, I have a great guide contact there (and the birding is excellent).

Buen Viaje!

[HelenB]

Dave - I know 8 hours is not enough (sob!!) but we will certainly be returning to Cost Rica sometime in the future. Right now the cruise is a celebration treat for my husband's retirement.

As the ship docks in Puntarenas, I will try to contact Gary Diller and see if he's willing to take us out for the day. Thanks for that info.

The next 2 ports of call in Mexico are Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas - not near enough to Puerto Vallarta I'm afraid. We'll have to see what shore excursions are being offered by the cruise line.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

Helen

[dennis]

Sounds great Helen!

Don't forget the pelagics. Red-billed and White-tailed Tropicbird, Masked and Red-footed Booby,etc.

I'm sure you will add a bunch to your list. When you get back I'd like to hear about species seen while going through the Panama Canal. Never saw a report by anyone of a cruise ship Panama list.

dennis

[Dave B Smith]

Helen,

A suggestion, if you are going to try to have a guide in Puntarenas, call ahead and schedule it. Gary actually lives about 3 hours from the town of Puntarenas and would need to plan ahead to be there.

Then Dennis has a few good suggestions, Pelagic birdwatching should be very good, and what better way than right from your ship!

The Panama canal goes through some tremendous birding country. Should be able to get quite a few right from the ship again. The ship will be moving very slowly in the canal and right next to the banks, be just like a stroll down a country lane! Like Dennis said, this would be an interesting report.

For your stops in Mexico, I would recommend Steve Howell's book 'A bird-finding guide to Mexico'. His only recommendation right in Acapulco is for sea birds and an estuary for waders,etc. In Cabo San Lucas he does give a few sites that you could easily visit on your own.

Good luck,

[IanF]

Hi Helen. Funnily enough I have some friends who are on that very cruise itinerary at the moment, setting off this week, they sail 2nd Nov. They're on Celebrity's Infinity. They're birders too, though are planning on going on one of the organised outings to fit a bit of biridng in.



At Puntarenas as a general widlife they'e doing this one Jungle River Cruise

though they fancied this one too Skywalk

I'll let you know how they got on.

I take it you know about their website and the webcams on the ship and at the locks ? I can post the links if you want.

[HelenB]

Dennis,
Thanks for the tips. I will certainly be posting a report to Birdforum on my return. On our last cruise from Alaska to Vancouver we spent a lot of time birding from the ship and got several lifers. My report is located here: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=7181

Ian,
We're booked with a different cruise line, though I imagine they all use the same shore excursion companies. We can't book any of them until 60 days before the cruise, so we still have lots of time to plan. I'd be interested to hear how your friends got on, when they return. Thanks for the links.

Dave,
Yes, I was definitely going to get in touch with Gary way ahead of time. I just checked out the Cloud Forest Alive! webpage http://qcamdev.forumone.com/tour/guide_bios.htm where all the guides are listed, hoping for an e-mail address for him, but there isn't one.
I'll look out for Steve Howell's book in the ABA catalogue.

Helen

[willie]

Hola Tia Helen:Welcome to the world of birding in Panama. We are located in north side of the Canal.
Please check your schedule and let us know the posibility to shear with you some lifers.
We also offer birdwatchers tours for cruiser all depending where you going to be docking, in the Pacific or the Atlantic.
Good lock, Willie

[HelenB]

Willie,
Sorry for the late reply - I've been away on a 5 day birding festival in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

Thank you for the offer to help us get some lifers. I'll send you a Private Message with our itinerary when we have it confirmed by the cruise line.
Helen